VIDEO PHOTO RECORDING DEVICE FOR THE INSPECTION OF THE INTERIOR OF PIPES

• US 3,832,724 A
• Filed: 05/18/1973
• Issued: 08/27/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mark Duval
• Original Assignee: Mark Duval
• Inventors: Duval, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Horan, John M.
• Application Number:
  US05/361,659
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 95/11HC,44 354/63
• US Class Current: 396/19
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/005 Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe, G03B37/02 - G03B37/06 take precedence; instruments for performing medical examinations of cavities or tubes of the body by photographic inspection A61B1/00

Abstract

This invention relates to an inspecting device specially adapted for detecting and locating defects or the like in the interior of a pipe. The device comprises a video camera and a film camera enclosed in a watertight housing which also carries lamps at the front end thereof for adequately illuminating the interior of the pipe. The device is pulled through the pipe by winches and as inspection progresses the interior thereof is continuously observed at a remote location on a TV monitor associated with the video camera and each time a defect or the like is noted a picture is taken by the film camera.

Claims

1. A pipe interior pictorial inspection and recording system comprising, in combination, a. a closed-circuit video camera;

b. a film camera having a remotely controllable shutter;

c. an illumination system for the interior of said pipe, said illumination system including photographic lighting means operable in synchronism with said film camera shutter, and at least one additional lamp means;

d. means for supporting said cameras and illuminating system within a pipe to be inspected, said cameras and illuminating system having viewing and projecting means aimed toward the same interior portion of pipe to be inspected;

e. means for progressively and controllably advancing said supporting means through the interior of a pipe to be inspected;

f. control means remote from said supporting means and in communication with said cameras, illumination system and supporting means, said control means including means for selectively controlling the advancement of said supporting means advancing means, including stopping said advancing means, means for controlling the illumination of said additional lamp means, and means for controlling actuation of said film camera shutter while said supporting means is advancing through said pipe, including when said advancing means is stopped in said pipe;

g. a remote video monitor screen in communication with said video camera;

h. means for indicating the degree of advancement of said supporting means through said pipe; and

i. remote power supply means and means for connecting said power supply to said cameras, illumination system and supporting means advancing means.

2. A pipe interior pictorial inspection and recording system as recited in claim 1 wherein said film camera is a still picture camera having a motorized film advancing means, and said photographic lighting means is a capacitative discharge strobe type;

and further including a remote means for indicating the readiness of said capacitative discharge strobe lighting means, and a remote film exposure counter.

3. A pipe interior pictorial inspection and recording system as recited in claim 1, further wherein said supporting means includes a protective enclosure housing for said cameras, said housing having a removable face plate, said face plate having at least one viewing port covered with transparent material located in front of the respective lens elements of said video and film cameras.

4. A pipe interior pictorial inspection and recording system as recited in claim 3, further wherein said forwardly facing face plate supports said photographic lighting means and said additional lamp means.

5. A pipe interior pictorial inspection and recording system as recited in claim 1, further wherein said means for controlling said additional lamp means is a dimmer switch.

6. A pipe interior pictorial inspection and recording system as recited in claim 1, wherein said additional lamp means comprises two quartz lamp elements, each lamp element being individually controllable by a dimmer switch.